Related Articles

The definition of “fine arts” as it applies to teaching and degrees can vary. In some colleges, “fine arts” applies only to studio or visual arts such as painting, sculpture and photography. Other colleges include performing arts, such as music, dance and theater, as well as writing in their fine arts’ programs. A professor of fine arts at a major college or university is often also a well-known photographer, installation artist or dancer -- and teaches classes in his area of expertise. A professor of fine arts almost always has earned either a Master of Fine Arts degree or a Ph.D.

Earn a Bachelor's in Fine Arts. A B.F.A. is typically a four-year, 120-credit hour program focusing on the visual or performing arts. Programs can include courses in studio arts, art history, design, photography and other arts. The B.F.A. is considered a professional degree and is often preferred over a B.A. for students considering an M.F.A. or a Ph.D. in fine arts.

Earn an M.F.A. or a Ph.D. in fine arts. Only a few institutions offer a Ph.D. in studio arts, as the M.F.A. was once considered the terminal degree in the field. Some institutions that do not have a doctoral program in the studio arts offer a related visual arts or media arts Ph.D. program. You generally must have a Ph.D. to teach any of the fine arts -- except studio arts -- at the college level.

Apply for an entry level fine arts faculty position at a major college or university. After you are hired as an instructor or lecturer or associate professor, you need to either publish well-received academic research or make a contribution to the field by actually producing art to develop your reputation in your area of expertise. Obtaining a tenure-track position is difficult; well-known academics and artists are generally considered first for these positions.

Apply for a fine arts professorship when one becomes available. Make sure your CV and portfolio reflect you in the best possible light -- and that your references are well-known in the fine arts.

Tip

Earning grants and awards for your work, whether research or art, is a preferred way to increase your chances of consideration for a tenure-track position in the fine arts. Both private foundations and public organizations offer a variety of grants and awards for academics in the fine arts.

2016 Salary Information for Postsecondary Teachers

Postsecondary teachers earned a median annual salary of $78,050 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, postsecondary teachers earned a 25th percentile salary of $54,710, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $114,710, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 1,314,500 people were employed in the U.S. as postsecondary teachers.

Tip

Earning grants and awards for your work, whether research or art, is a preferred way to increase your chances of consideration for a tenure-track position in the fine arts. Both private foundations and public organizations offer a variety of grants and awards for academics in the fine arts.

Resources (1)

About the Author

Clayton Browne has been writing professionally since 1994. He has written and edited everything from science fiction to semiconductor patents to dissertations in linguistics, having worked for Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Steck-Vaughn and The Psychological Corp. Browne has a Master of Science in linguistic anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Photo Credits

Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images

bibliography-iconicon for annotation tool Cite this Article

Choose Citation Style

Browne, Clayton. "How to Become a Professor of the Fine Arts." Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/become-professor-fine-arts-9957.html. Accessed 21 January 2019.

Browne, Clayton. (n.d.). How to Become a Professor of the Fine Arts. Work - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/become-professor-fine-arts-9957.html

Browne, Clayton. "How to Become a Professor of the Fine Arts" accessed January 21, 2019. http://work.chron.com/become-professor-fine-arts-9957.html

Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.